Connecticut western news., 1887-09-14
THE GRAND ARMY,
Some Facts and Figures of it's Meet.
 ings and Membership.

The coming annual encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic at St. Louis, which is certain to attract more attention than any preceding one for many years is the association. Its first post was organized in Decatur, H., April 6, 1866, and the second quickly followed at Springfield, in the same State. Major B. F. Stephenson, of Spring field, who had been surgeon of the Fourteenth Illinois Volunteers, has the credit of origin ating tho organization, and mustered in the Decatur post, with Gen. I. c. Pugh' as Post Commander and Capt. Kanan as Adjutant. He also, few months later, gave a charter to the first Eastern post, No. 1, of Philadelphia. Gen. John W. Palmer was the first Depart ment Commander.
 The first national encampment was held at Indianapolis in November, 1866, and Gen. S. A. Hurlbut was there chosen the first Con- mander-in-Chief. The rules, regulations and ritual have been materially modified du ing the lapse of moro than twenty years since that first meeting. The second national encamp- ment was held at Philadelphia in January, 1868, and tho Grand Army then took on new and far more important form with provisions for permanent establishment. Gen. John A.. Logan was elected Commander-in-C Chief, and a few months later signaiZed the beginning of his career of memorable energy as head of this organization by issuing his famous order di- recting the observance of May 80 as Memorial Day. He may be said to have left new na- tional holiday his own memorial for his countrymen. The third national encamp- ment was held at Cincinnati. where Gen. Logan was reelected Commander-in- Chief, and Gen. Lucious Fairchild and Gen. J. R. Hawley respect vely Senior and Junior Vice-Commander-in-C Chief. The fourth annu- al cncampment was at Washingtong the fifth at Boston, the sixth at Cleveland, the seventh at New Haven, the eighth at Harrisburg, the ninth at Chicago, the tho tenth at Phiiadel- phia, the eleventh at Providence, the twelfth at Springfield, Mass, the thirteenth at Albany, the fourteenth at Dayton, the fifteenth at h. dianapolis, the sixteenth at Baltimore, where, by the way, MT. Cleveland's predecessor, Pres from Washington for the purpose; tho seven- teenth at Denver, the eighteenth at Minneap- olis the nineteenth at Portland and the twen- tieth, last years, at San Francisco.
 At the San Francisco encampment, held in August. 1886, there were shown to be connect ed with the organization 5, 765 posts and 29o OS7 members at the date of the last previous off, cial rep rts. As the membership showed net gain of 25,643 during the year. in spite of deaths and suspensions for non-payment of dues, it is entirely probable that the reports at the St. Louis cncampment will indicate more than 30O,0O0 memDers in good standing and perhaps as many as 325, GOO. During the year the posts had expended an aggregate of $2O5, ,673 out of their charity and relief fund, not reckoning the expenditures of 750 posts whose reports had not been received, and there was balance in the fund of S301 ,012. Per haps in general the charity and relief expendi- lures may be set at nearly quarter of a mii- lion year. It is evident that the organiza- tion is numerous, powerful and enthusiastic.